Apparatus for splicing yarn



June 18, 1935. i R, H. CHASE zmalzs APPARATUS FOR SPLICING YARN Filed June 12, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l June 18, 1935?. R. H. CHASE APPARATUS FOR SPLICING YARN Filed June 12, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 18, 1935 UNITED STATES APPARATUS FOR SPLICING YARN Raymond H. Chase, Providence, R. L, assignor to William Wallace Potter, Pawtucket, R. I.

Application June 12, 1931, Serial No. 544,015

4 Claims.

I In the textile art, in the processes of manufacture, it is necessary to join or secure together thread ends to make the threads continuous. The practice is to knot or tie them, and the resulting knots are objectionable for various reasons. First, they are objectionable in the manufacturing operations in that they obstruct, or hinder the smooth even passage of the knotted threads through the small thread guides and eye holes of the machines. Second, the presence of knots in the woven or finished fabric or goods isobjectionable, especially in the finer grades. The principal'object of my invention is to avoid the presence of knots in the spliced threads and this ob-' ject is achieved by a form of splice that requires no knots and avoids enlargement of the thread diameter or thickness at the splice. Another, and important object is to enable the splicing to be done by mechanical means of compact and small bulk so that the operator can hold it with one hand and can manipulate it so held, and which when not being used, will not impede the use of that hand in other work about the machine.

My invention consists in whatever is described by or is included within the language or meaning of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a splicer, embodying and which can be used in the practice of the invention;

Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively, front and side views, parts being shown in section in Fig. 3;

Figs. 4 and 5 are, respectively, detail top and edge views of the base plate and thread cutter;

Fig. 6 is a view in perspective of the spliced product, shown enlarged;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of another embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 8 is a detail view in vertical section with the mechanism in normal position;

Fig. 9 is a detail view in elevation of the pair of splicing stones of the device of Fig. '7;

Fig. 10 is a top plan view showing the position of the splicing stones and thread gripper in the po ition for making the splice.

Briefly described, the splice is formed by placing alongside one another substantial lengths of the ends of the two threads to be joined, and twisting them, an adhesive being applied to them, so that when twisted, they are retained in the twisted condition by the adhesive. The union is thus due to both the interlacing by twisting and the adhesive and is thus very strong. The twisting operation, of course, reduces the thickness at the overlap or the double portionand thus there is no substantial increase in gauge or diameter of the thread at the splice. Threads thus spliced are fcabled with others to form the finished yarn, and forthis reason are of soft twist. This makes for or enables the production of a frayed end when the strand is cut and that means that no ends are visible in the splice.

Describing in detail what is shown in the drawings, Figs. 1 to 6, It) is a frame of substantially U-shape to arch over the operators hand, to one leg of which is secured a flexible buckle strap, I I, to receive the palm portion of the hand and leave thumb and fingers free.

Mounted upon the top of frame, I0, is a base plate, I2, preferably covered with a friction material such as rubber or cork. Base plate, I2, is provided with two diametrically opposite holes, I3, each with a bevelled edge to form a thread cutter on the lower side, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Pivoted to the lower side of the base is an oscillating plate I4, having two arms, I5, with cutting edges, which respectively pass across the holes, I3. The cutter carrier plate It is provided with an operating arm, I6.

The rear portion of frame, I0, is provided with a vertical guide, IT, in which slides the vertical leg of an 'L-shaped arm, I8, which has its end forked to journal a knob, IS, in such mannerthat the latter may be freely rotated.

Knob I8 is hollow to provide a chamber for a liquid adhesive. At the bottom is a disk 20, of elastic, friction material with vertical ducts, 2|. Pressing against the upper face of disc 20 is a disc of sponge material, 22, which serves to control the flow of adhesive from the hollow portion of the knob to the ducts, 2 I. When the disc 20, is pressed down upon the flat top of the base plate I2, 3. small amount of adhesive is forced through ducts, 2 I, by the compressing of sponge 22.

Any suitable means may be provided for introducing adhesive into the knob but a satisfactory method is to providev an inlet hole, 23, covered by a removable rubber band, .24, which encircles knob, I9, and is retained by a deep groove, 25. The hole 23, connects groove, 25, with the interior of the knob. The band 24, effectively seals hole 23, and is easily removed and replaced.

Mounted upon the sides of frame I 0, are thread guides 26 and 21 and so arranged that they are respectively in line with holes I3 in base plate, I2.

Knob support I8, is provided with a cam slot 28, for engaging cutter operating arm, I6. It will be seen that when knob I9 is pushed downward, cutter I4 is caused to slide across holes I3, in base plate, l2, in a cutting operation, and for a purpose to be described.

Describing the method or procedure and referring to Fig. 1, a thread 29, is drawn over guide 26 and under guide 21 into hole l3, and left hanging as shown. The other thread 30 is then drawn over guide 2'! and under guide 26, into theother hole, I 3, and likewise left hanging. Knob I9 is then pushed straight down upon base plate l2, thus gripping the pair of threads between. splicing disc, 20, and base plate l2 and coincidentally cutting the free ends of the threads by the action of cutters, I4. As soon as splicing disc 20 makes contact with base plate l2, the knob istwisted about one-third of a revolution and a twisted splice results, adhesive being applied in the manner heretofore described, as the operation proceeds.

It will be realized that a rolling motion is imparted tothe pair of threads in opposite directions with respect to a central point which comes under the center of the splicing disc, and the product shown in Fig. 6 results.

The device shown in Figs. 7 to 10 issimple, dependable and easily operated for uniting the ends of yarns or threads. The operations of severing the ends to produce a lap of predetermined length, applying adhesive and rolling neighboring fibers into one compact strand is accomplished by a simple motion of the thumb and may be performed very rapidly and easily.

Describing in detail Figs. 7 to 10, a casing-like frame, 3|, is provided that has a hande, 32. Mounted fixedly within the frame is a plane or flat splicing member, 33, of stone, and arranged to reciprocate up and. down in contact with stone 33 is another plane or fiat member 34, of stone. It is secured to a carrier plate 35, which may be actuated by handle 31. Carrier plate 35 is a cam plate.

A light spring 38 lying between stud, 39 secured to an arm of handle 31 and engaging plate 35, tends to press stone, 34v against stone 33. Plate 35 is provided with a cam 40, and a lip 4|, for purposes later explained.

' On the lower end of carrier plate 35 is a projection 4|0, that engages a stop 42 on the casing or frame which stop is so formed as to exert a slight tilting action upon said plate in its normal lowered position of rest to provide an opening between the splicing stones for the reception of threads by spreading the stonesapart. Secured to frame 3|, 'at its bottom is thread gripper stem 43, upon the upper end of which is mounted gripper stone 44. Said stem is of spring or resilient material.

Mounted upon stem 43, is a slide 45, that carries a stone 46, which by a spring 41 yieldingly holds gripper stone 46 against gripper stone 44. Slide 45 has a lip or projection 48 in position to coact in succession with the bevel or cam 40, and lip 4| on carrier plate '35. In the normal position of rest as shown in Fig. 8, lip 4| rests upon lip 48 to hold grippers 44 and 46 far enough apart to permit the easy entrance of threads between them.

A spring 49 acting on handle 31 returns the handle moved parts to the normal inactive position shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

Mounted upon the outside of casing 3|, is adhesive reservoir 50, provided with one or more orifices 5|, leading through splicing stone, 33, to supply adhesive to the contacting faces of splicing stones 33 and 34.

Valve mechanism including a valve 52, normally held closed by spring 53 and actuated by lever 54, which in turn is operated by rotary cam 55, mounted upon handle 36, provides a positive and measured flow of adhesive upon each stroke of handle, 36.

In practice, I find that the splicing stones give best results when made from vitreous material such as used in the manufacture of abrasive wheels, but I do not, by the use of the word stone limit myself, as I include any material having a high coefiicient of friction.

Referring to Figs. 9 and 13, it will be seen that the upper portion of splicing stone 34 is narrowed and its opposite edges are bevelled to insure a sharp outer edge 56, along the narrow portion, as shown at 55.

The operation of the deviceshown in Figs. 7 to 10 is as follows:

A pair of threads is laid between splicing stones 33 and 34 with their free ends lying between grippers 44 and 45 and the handle 36, is pressed downward by pressure of the thumb of the hand 7 to which handle 3 is strapped. Stone 34 being thus freed from stop 42, presses against stone 33, and lip 43 permits grippers 44 and 46 to grip the free ends of the threads.

Cam 55 rocks lever 54, and opens valve, 52, to deliver adhesive to the stones. As the upward movement of carrier plate 35 prooeeds,'cam, 39, forces the grippers 44 and 45 away from stone 34, and thus strains the threads against the bevel edges of stone 34, and quickly severs them at exactly the edge of the bevel 56. Stone, 34, in completing its stroke, rolls, or twists the two strands into a compact adhesive-bound splice, which is delivered or rolled free at the top edge of stone 33.

I find that the action of the bevel edge of stone 34 insures a frayed end as opposed to a squarely cut end. A frayed end with fibers of unequal length, such as my device provides, is a valuable factor in making a satisfactory splice.

What I claim is:--

l. A twister device having means for severing the ends of adjacent threads to provide a lap of predetermined length, means to apply adhesive to said threads and means for intertwining the fibers of said threads in a splice.

2. A splicer having means to twist overlapped thread ends and means to supply an adhesive thereto before twisting.

3. A splicer having means supporting and twisting two thread ends alongside one another, means severing the thread extremities and means supplying an adhesive to at least one thread overlap.

4. A splicer having a pair of thread gripping surfaces, relatively movable and having friction surfaces that act to intertwine the fibers of ad jacent strands by frictional contact with said strands, and means to apply adhesive to strands between the friction surfaces.

' RAYMOND H. CHASE. 

